The present invention relates generally to wireless communications devices, and more particularly to storing and playing karaoke on wireless communications devices.
Wireless communication devices typically play a ring tone to announce events to a user, such as an incoming call. Most modern wireless communication devices can store a plurality of pre-recorded ring tones from which the user can choose according to the user's taste. These ring tones may comprise simple tones, but more frequently comprise a sequence of tones forming a melody. The manufacturer typically preloads these melodic ring tones into device memory as audio files.
A growing issue concerning wireless communications devices is the user's inability to personalize these ring tones. For example, because the manufacturer provides only a preset number of ring tones, the user must typically assign the same ring tone to multiple parties. Downloadable ring tones provide a broader selection, but practical constraints regarding the device's memory still limits users to a specified number of pre-recorded ring tones. A similar constraint applies with respect to software programs that enable the user to create new ring tones. One way to avoid this problem would be to allow the user to augment the selected melodic ring tone with the user's voice. However, conventional devices do not permit the user to record his or her voice and play it back in conjunction with the melodic ring tone as an alert.